1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to media Consumer or audience sampling, survey or measurement systems and methods.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The Nielsen Company, Arbitron and others have long sought for improved methods for measuring audiences for broadcast television other media platforms and services. Audience measurements of media, such as television or radio programs, are typically carried out by monitoring or measuring media consumption (e.g., the viewing of or listening to audio/video content) within households that are statistically selected to represent particular demographic groups, geographic regions, etc, as shown in FIG. 1.
Using various statistical methods, the collected media consumption data may be processed to determine audience size and demographics for media presentations or programs of interest. Such audience size and demographic information may be valuable to advertisers, broadcasters and any other media delivery entity or service provider that wants to know an audience size and demographic associated with a particular program. For example, audience size and demographic information is a significant factor in the development of improved program lineups, the placement of advertisements targeted at a particular demographic, as well as in valuing commercial time slots during particular programs.
Audiences are increasingly using more than one type of media device or platform configured to display or play back more than one type of media format. Thus, audiences can interact with multiple media formats—TV (e.g., conventional, cable, satellite, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV)), online content (e.g., web browsing, searching, etc., except video), content adapted for playback or display on PDAs and cell phones, print media and outdoor ads, and conventional radio. These multiple media formats can be classified into three primary groups—video (including IPTV), online (excluding video) and outdoor media. These multiple media formats—TV (conventional, cable, satellite, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV)), online (web browsing, searching, etc., except video), cell phone, print, and outdoor ads, except conventional radio—will be collectively referred to as “Media”.
The prior art audience measurement methods and systems do not meet everyone's need, though. Media producers, broadcasters, advertisers, marketers and other stake holders are still seeking a method or system which can provide timely verification or confirmation that a selected audience has been reached and retained.
There is a need, therefore, for a cost-effective system and method for gathering audience measurement data in a comprehensive manner, across multiple media formats that can be used to estimate audience measurement metrics with a higher degree of confidence than is possible using the prior art systems.